Electronic time piece comprising a device for adjusting the time display

Abstract

A watch comprising at least a minute hand, an hour hand and a knobbed shaft which can occupy an extended axial position known as a correcting position. Minute-by-minute correction or correction by whole time zones is operated with the knobbed shaft in the same extended position by the selection of the speed at which the knob is rotated. Time zone correction always uses as point of reference the real time at the moment of actuation of the knob into the extended position, and the watch includes means operative to cancel any step-by-step correction of the minute hand which may have preceded the time zone correction.

We claim: 
     
       1. An electronic time piece comprising at least an hour indicator, a minute indicator, a manually actuable correction device which, when actuated, effects step-by-step correction in either direction of said minute indicator in response to a first given operation carried out on said device and rapid correction in either direction of said minute indicator by whole time zones in response to a second given operation, different from the first, carried out on said device, and compensating means operative to cancel, when said correction device is actuated, any correction of said minute indicator which may precede a time zone correction, whereby said second operation always effects a correction of a whole time zone in relation to the real time at the moment said correction device is actuated. 
     
     
       2. A time piece according to claim 1, wherein said first and second operations generate correction pulses to correct said minute indicator display and that said compensating means comprise an up/down counter having a capacity which corresponds to the number of steps necessary for making a whole time zone alteration of the display, said counter storing said correction pulses and emitting an output pulse each time it overflows or underflows, and a circuit arranged to receive said output pulses and to supply, in response to said first and second operations, a correction blocking signal to the first output pulse emitted by said counter if the step-by-step correction and the rapid correction of the display are carried out in the same direction and to the second output pulse emitted by said counter if the said corrections are carried out one in a first direction and the other in a second direction. 
     
     
       3. A time piece according to claim 2, wherein the capacity of said counter is 60, each correction pulse corresponding to one display minute. 
     
     
       4. A time piece according to claim 2, wherein said counter has a reset input which receives a reset pulse when said correction device is actuated. 
     
     
       5. A time piece according to claim 2, wherein said circuit comprises first to fourth AND gates, first and second OR gates and two bistable devices, each having a reset input to which are applied via said first OR gate each of said output pulses from said counter and a reset pulse produced in response to the actuation of said correction device, the resetting being controlled by the second edges of said pulses, said bistable devices having set inputs connected to output of said first and second AND gates respectively, said AND gates having first inputs receiving said correction pulses, second inputs receiving a signal representing step-by-step correction and third inputs receiving complementary inputs indicating one sense and the other sense of correction respectively, said bistable devices having outputs connected to first inputs of said third and fourth AND gates respectively, said third and fourth AND gates having second inputs receiving said output pulses, third inputs receiving a signal representing rapid correction, fourth inputs receiving complementary inputs indicating one sense and the other sense of correction respectively and outputs connected to said second OR gate to provide said blocking signal.